LSUE > Water

Water Theme

Water is far from a simple commodity,
Water's a sociological oddity,
Water's a pasture for science to forage in,
Water's a mark of our dubious origin,
Water's a link with a distant futurity,
Water's a symbol of ritual purity,
Water is politics, water's religion,
Water is just anyone's pigeon,
Water is frightening, water's endearing,
Water's a lot more than mere engineering,
Water is tragical, water is comical,
Water is far from the pure economical,
So studies of water, though free from aridity,
Are apt to produce a good deal of turbidity.

Kenneth Boulding, Water Resources Development

Recent Activities

Introduction

The Water Theme combines the efforts of different research groups performing fundamental and applied research in different aspects of water-related process knowledge, management and technology. The LSUE Water Theme aims at finding new integral solutions using a multidisciplinary approach by constructive and efficient collaboration of scientists of different backgrounds in the framework of integrated water resources management. The competition for the limited water resources between the various sectors underlines indeed the importance of adopting a holistic approach to water resources planning and management in order to meet the global needs. The competition also highlights the fact that, apart from the obvious technical aspects, effective and sustainable development of water resources involves complex socio-economic considerations. Moreover, at national and European level integrated water management is forming the basis of new water legislation (EU Water Framework Directive, Groundwater Directive, Floods Directive, etc.).  

The relevant research topics within the Water Theme are described below. Click here if you want to find out more on the background of the Water Theme in general.

Research Topics

River, urban, coastal and estuarine hydrology and hydraulics

The goal of this topic is to study the transport of water and dissolved constituents over the land-surface and through rivers and sewers. The research methods concentrate on the development, testing and application of conceptual, statistical and spatially distributed physical models. The research focuses on the design of surface water infrastructure and on the impact simulation of surface water management scenarios, climate change, land-use and agricultural changes, etc. to quantity and quality of surface water. Impact analysis includes risk analysis of hydrological extremes, as floods, low flows or droughts, and extreme water pollution states. The coastal zone is a very dynamic region. It forms the boundary between land and sea. It is often densely populated, is attractive for tourism, and is economically of great importance with dense ship traffic to and from harbors. It also has many natural resources, like fish, sand and gravel for the construction industry, space for wind farming, etc. Due to the large physical gradients (wet-dry, salt-fresh, ...) also biodiversity is great, but threatened by the pressure of anthropogenic activities. Research on coastal and estuarine hydrodynamics emphasizes on numerical modelling of currents in shelf seas and estuaries, on numerical modelling of wave generation and propagation in the coastal zone (spectral approach), on the interaction of waves, currents and sediments, and on statistical properties of waves, such as wave climate and extreme waves in shallow water.

LSUE members active in this topic: Patrick Willems, Guido Wyseure, Jean Berlamont, Jaak Monbaliu, Erik Toorman
   
Hydrogeology and groundwater management

Goal of the hydrogeological research is the description, understanding and prediction of the occurrence, flow and quality of groundwater. The research questions are strongly driven by the need to develop improved techniques for groundwater management and related aspects concerning change in land-use, climate and ecology. Present research focuses on numerical hydrogeology, with as main elements improved techniques for simulation, calibration and uncertainty analysis of groundwater flow, hydrochemistry and pollution transport.

LSUE members active in this topic: Okke Batelaan
   
Atmospheric processes

For water availability at the surface, atmospheric processes such as evaporation, cloud formation and consecutive precipitation formation are of importance. Variability of precipitation and evaporation in time and space are affected by atmospheric circulation and interactions between the surface and the atmosphere. These meteorological processes are studied using a combination of atmospheric models, in-situ and remote sensing observations.

LSUE members active in this topic: Nicole Van Lipzig
   
Agricultural water management

In the light of the expected increase in water shortages in the 21st century, this research aims to budget water flows in and out of the root zone throughout the growing season. With the help of developed water balance models the management of rain fed and irrigated agriculture can be improved. Via participatory research guidelines are developed to support farmers in their day-to-day management of water for crops. Also the water balance of ‘green roofs’ as part of integrated urban water management is studied. In addition, research is being performed on the development of on farm biopurification systems for treating pesticide polluted waste water at the farm.

LSUE members active in this topic: Jan Diels, Dirk Raes, Dirk Springael, Bart Muys, Rony Swennen
   
Soil water

The research line soil water is studying the water flow and quality in the variably saturated zone. Laboratory, field, numerical and stochastic techniques form the basis for the analysis, identification and characterization of processes and model parameters. Validated models are used for prediction and management of processes impacting soil water conditions. In addition, research is being performed on the microbial ecology of polluted soil, groundwater and surface water, its impact on contamination and vice versa with emphasis on pollutant degrading organisms and the interaction of those organisms with their polluted environment including the impact of environmental changes on their activity.

LSUE members active in this topic: Jan Diels, Jan Vanderborght, Guido Wyseure, Dirk Springael
   
Aquatic ecology and ecohydrology

The knowledge of the interaction between water versus biota and vegetation in pools, lakes and river (margins) is of prime importance for the sustainable and ecological welfare of water bodies. The relevant processes are studied in laboratory and field conditions, while research into hydrological models try to translate from regional, via local to the site, the conditions of the water quantity and quality for the ecology.

LSUE members active in this topic: Luc De Meester, Koen Muylaert, Luc Brendonck, Okke Batelaan, Steven Bouillon
   
Sediment transport and erosion

Research focuses on the behavior and fate of non-cohesive sediments (sand) and cohesive sediments (mud) in coastal areas, estuaries, rivers, reservoirs and sewer systems or eroded from land surfaces by rainfall runoff. The major research activities are related to a better theoretical understanding of the processes and to the numerical modelling of sediment-laden turbulent flow under currents and wave action. Furthermore, remote sensing techniques are developed. Besides fundamental research, applied studies are carried out, a.o. for morphodynamic studies (e.g., Schelde, North Sea, Suriname Coast) and dredging. Also experimental laboratory studies and field measurements are carried out.

LSUE members active in this topic: Gerard Govers, Jean Poesen, Erik Toorman, Anton Van Rompaey, Steven Bouillon
   
Economic and sustainable management of water resources

The sustainable management of natural resources (water) and an improvement of the income situation of land use actors is the main focus of this topic. It is investigated how land users (farmers, foresters) can be stimulated to adopt improved technologies that together with better market systems can lead to a more sustainable management of natural resources with at the same time improved incomes for these actors.

LSUE members active in this topic: Liesbet Vranken, Erik Mathijs
   
Water Quality Technology

Technology for the production of process and drinking water and for the treatment of wastewater is becoming more and more important considering the exponentially increasing human, industrial and agricultural water consumption. To close the water cycle, wastewater treatment techniques should, therefore, evolve from an end-of-pipe technology to a real water production process. In the industrialized countries water reuse (especially in industry) is an absolute must. In the developing countries the first priority is to get the wastewater treated (by low cost but efficient (often more decentralized) techniques) where a second goal can be to reuse the water (and/or the nutrients) in agricultural applications. More specifically, ongoing research focuses on membrane bioreactor technology (how to prevent or deal with membrane fouling, development of new membrane types), pressure driven membrane processes in view of water recycling (reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration), electrodialysis and related technologies for treatment of concentrate streams, membrane-based biogas production and nutrient recovery from waste water, biofilter and bioreactor technology to remove specific (pesticide and other) contaminants. For projects in developing countries, the concept of ‘low cost, high performance’ technologies is propagated.

LSUE members active in this topic: Ilse Smets

 

 

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